I am a nutrition freak. I have my weaknesses (ice cream, coffee, cookies...), but I am obsessed with healthy eating. I track my calories most days and try to make sure I have met my daily carb, dairy, protein, fruit, and veg intake.
I know... obsessive. Oh well.
However, balanced meals in Cuenca are VERY different from my idea of balanced meals. Here, the key word is CARBOHYDRATE. Now, unlike many of the expats living in Cuenca, I live with Cuencanos. We live in my mother-in-law's house and my mother-in-law cooks. (On a side note, I would like to state for the record that I am not complaining. My mother-in-law is an amazing cook and makes delicious food. I am simply pointing out the differences between my own views and the typical Cuencano food that we eat in our home... I am grateful that I have someone who cooks so I don't just eat cereal, yogurt, fruits, and veggies... Now that I have a baby and am a full-time mom. Because I know if she wasn't here and didn't cook that's what I would do) Okay, back on topic... so it is not uncommon for us to have a meal that consists of meat, salad (ice burg lettuce and tomato is very typical), rice (of course!), potatoes, and mote (hominy). Many in the household will pile their plate full of rice (at least 3 cups of rice, which comes close to 1,000 calories just in rice), then have a cup of mote, and possibly some potatoes.
For those of you who don't know much about carbohydrates (many of you will tune out now, I know it), if you consume more carbohydrates than you burn off, they will be stored as fat. This fat is very hard to get rid of. So, you're better off overloading on proteins or veggies than carbs. But, whatever....
My plate typically has 1/2 cup of rice OR potatoes OR mote, a fist-sized portion of meat, and the rest salad.
I really miss having my own kitchen to be able to prepare the foods I like to make. I miss having time to cook the foods I like. Food is one of those things that really can make your day (or break your day).
My ideal meals consist of things such as portabella mushrooms stuffed with Parmesan cheese, basil, and walnuts baked with a white wine/olive oil drizzle. Bruscuttas with pancetta, some sort of hard cheese, fresh basil, garlic, etc. Barbecued chicken breast with a lemon and pepper marinade with grilled veggies and a spinach and strawberry salad with a very light balsamic dressing. Roasted veggie panani sandwiches with herbed goat cheese.. This, my friends, is food!
There are dishes here I love such as ceviche (great balance of a healthy protein and veggies), batidos (you get a healthy combination of dairy and fruit), homemade soups that use broccoli and other leafy veggies, etc. But I do miss my own obsessively balanced creations that I made when I had my own kitchen.
To the future and eventually having my own place to cook again!
xo
Well if you can't wait, you are invited to come over and cook yourself silly in our kitchen... of course we would have to try it as well... but you are always welcome!
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel any better, my wife read a study that at higher altitudes you need to consume more carbs. So the locals don't just have a "carb tooth"--instinctively their diet corresponds to our bodies' needs here. And as evidence, I'm sure you've noticed in spite of the carb intake how slim the peeps are in Cuenca compared to the US.
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